The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-11-24
"WeIl. what can Won do bettcrlp

| Eyes, l." returned T1yrZa- II KNOW
| just how father wants things done. i amt
| a bit afraid, if can only get a good man to
| work with 'Biram."
| There was long talk, and the end OF II
was that the doctor undertook TO hnd
another man, and Thyrzs put on her bonnet
| and went out to the dollhouse to see II
plows and harrows were all in good order.
The family settled itself down in its new
conditions. A bed was put up in the best
| parlor for the sick man, and his wife gave
| herself up to nursing. Thyrza spental her
time in the open air, experimenting the
outdoor work, and the three younger girls
| looked after things indoors. Flowing and
| planting were successfully accomplished,
| when a new trouble arose. The supply OF
milk was so much greater than ever before
that how to dispose Of it became serious
| question.
1--WE haven't any convenience for butter
making" said Maria, the second sister.
"Nor no decent place to set the milk, and
no ice to cool the cream, nor even churn
that's fit to use. If had things to work
| with l could make as good butter as any
body; but, girls, it's a sin and shame to
spoil good cream trying to make butter out
of it in that hot pantry OF ours"
Gathers never thought We needed any
conveniences TO work with in the house, y
said ThryZ2. 81 declare it rifles me to see
how convenient every thing outdoor IS, and
how he has every kind Of labor-savlng
machine, and we haven't even sink
drain"
That's because we're girls" said HUI
dab. 'If we'd n had any sense at all we'd
| all have been boys"
'Tve notion to try and sell that milk, p"
said Maria
How can your asked Hetty. 'Is
wouldn't look well for you to drive into
town with a wagon full of milk"
II don't care how it looks" said Maria,
fercely Something's got to be done with
the stuff. 1t is a nightmare to me. l
dreamed last night that was drowning in
lake Of milk. Every place in the house
that will hold pan Of milk is full I'm
going to harness now, and go TO town and
see if l can get some orders for it. Who
will come, tool"
Huldah volunteered, and in the early
| evening they returned, their wagon loaded
down with milk-cans, reporting that they
had already taken orders for twenty quarts
| day.
Maria took upon herself the care of de-
livering the milk. Every morning she rose
early and MIXED the COWS, and drove into
| town with the rich, creamy fluid. The
business increased rapidly. She took lit
tie boy from a poor family near by, who
carried the milk into the houses, while she
sat in the wagon and measured it and kept
account of tickets. Her dairy was great
| success. Before June was ended, every
quart of milk they could spare was en-
gagged, and during July and August she
| bought from her neighbors.
About the middle of June Thyrza came
in one night, looking preoccupied.
"Girls," she said, "there was $50 interest
due at the savings bank the LIST of last
month"
what forl" asked Huldah.
sit seems that was the way father raised
money for the new meadow and pasture
land. He borrowed money at the savings
| bank and gave mortage on the farm as
security. Don't you know mother had to
go before justice and sign some papers
last falll She hadn't any idea of what she
was signing, and when the justice asked if
she signed 'em OF her own free will, she
SAID she signed 'em because her husband
told her to. And then he spoke up sharp
| to her and told her that wasn't no kind of
an answer to make and she was so scared
she backed down and said she did it of her
own free will. Well, it seems it was this
mortgage she was signing, and now the
interest is overdue"
SHOW did you find it outI' asked Hetty.
esquire Blaisdell rode by the brook
meadow to-day, when was out there with
the men, and he stopped and spoke to me
| about it. Said there wasn't any hurry, but
he thought perhaps 1 didn't know it. i
told him I'd see to it right away"
There's money enough from the milk
on hand, ;" SAID Maria.
81 know it, but want to keep that for
the doctor. No, I've thought Of better
way than that. We're going to have ire
mendous crop Of hay this summer, and we
shall want every inch of barn room we've
got. I'm going to sell the old hay. There
will be enough to pay the interest on the
mort gage, and leave all we want for the
horses. shall go into town tomorrow to
see to itn
Before Saturday night the old hay had
| been transferred to the barn of Willard
Brothers, the livery men in the village, and
the interest had been paid and properly in
dorsed on the note.
Hetty sat looking over strawberries one
| bright June evening. She had snatched
an hour or two from the kitchen that day
and run across the fields to favorite nook,
where the earliest strawberries ripened, to
gather some. Maria sat watching her re-
| tiectively. Suddenly she spoke:
"Hetty, believe l could sell some ber-
ries for you, if you could get time to pick
| them"
81 can get the time, if you can sell the
berries" responded Hetty.
No, ~, l..
basket of ripe red fruit nesting among
dewy green leaves. She sold them readily
and took an order for more. This was the
| beginning of a little business, which the
sisters claimed as their very own, always
dividing with their mother, which, small as
it was, gave them more spending money
than they had ever seen before. Rasp-
berries followed Strawberries; later came
| blackberries. Sometimes there were few
freshly-laid eggs, or a pair of plump
chickens for broiling. Again, few fresh
vegetables could be spared from the garden,
or a basket Of early apples. Every thing
was the best Of its kind, exquisitely fresh
and clean, daintily packed In pretty baskets.
Maria said she could have sold as much
again, if she had only had it
In the middle of the summer Mr.. Fuller
seemed better, but in August he grew
worse again: fever returned, this time with
typhoid symptoms. DR.. Gerrish was out OF
town, having left his patients in charge
of his nephew, young man who,
like all young people, dared to do things
which older ones would meyer presume to
attempt. The young doctor looked his
patient over with a grave face, prepared
some powders, and then, instead Of going
ont at the door and driving away, as he
ought, went directly to the kitchen.
There's something wrong about your